A YOUNG bullock plunged into a canal after vandals cut down fencing in a North Wales field.

Nineteen others wandered off onto a road following the Friday night attack on land close to Froncysyllte aqueduct, near Llangollen.

Retired smallholders Alan and Josie Webster, of Ruthin, have described those responsible as "cruel".

"It was a dreadful thing to do, to put animals' lives in danger like that," said Mrs Webster.

"The steer was only 16 months old and he could easily have drowned. It wasn't children who did this. It must have been young men. A lot of effort was needed to cut the fence with wire cutters," she said.

Fire crews had to rescue the bullock, which appears to have made a full recovery.

Mrs Webster, who lives at Brynhyfryd Park, was at Bangor-on-Dee races while her husband was out working.

"It was about 5.30pm to 6pm when apparently two young girls saw the bullock in the canal and rang the police. I don't know who they were but we are very grateful to them.

"The bullock was stuck in the canal because the sides are too steep for him to climb out on his own.

"The police called the fire service. I was at Bangor races and completely oblivious to what was going on when I got a call from my granddaughter-inlaw who said there was a problem with the cattle.

"I rang my husband and he rushed down there.

"The field is under the aqueduct and the fence runs under the canal bank which has steep sides.

"It was an almost new fence of pig netting and barbed wire which belongs to the waterways people. It was deliberately cut.

"Whether the cattle were chased or went through themselves we'll never know. Nineteen of them went down into the playing field and up onto the road between the bridge and the Aqueduct Inn. The licensee raised the alarm and again we're grateful to him.

"The young bullock which went into the canal swam the length of the aqueduct. If he had drowned we would have been mortified. I'm just very, very cross that anyone could be so irresponsible and cruel."

Fire crews from Llangollen and Wrexham came to the rescue.

Ropes were attached the bullock's neck to lead him to a part of the canal where he could get out. He was tied up in a field when Mr Webster arrived.

"The fire service was fantastic and we'll be thanking them," said Mrs Webster.

Grandsons James and Marcus Rigby, and their mother, Mrs Webster's daughter Patricia Rigby of Llangollen, spent hours helping Mr Webster safely rounding up the other steers.

"If they had wandered onto the A5 goodness knows what might have happened," Mrs Webster said. North Wales Police said they plan to step up patrols.